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Killexams : F5-Networks Configuration health - BingNews
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https://killexams.com/exam_list/F5-NetworksKillexams : F5 Networks and Ciena Buyout Rumors Are Signs of the TimesNo result found, try new keyword!F5 looks like the kind of enterprise tech company that could be targeted by private-equity firms, given how many other enterprise names with similar growth and valuation profiles have been taken out.Wed, 31 May 2023 12:01:00 -0500text/htmlhttps://www.thestreet.com/technology/f5-networks-and-ciena-buyout-rumors-are-signs-of-the-times-13641826Killexams : F5 Networks Slides on Soft Guidance
Shares of F5 Networks (NASDAQ:FFIV) are lower today after the company reported earnings. Total revenue climbed 11% year-over-year to reach $703 million, but software revenue dropped 13%. In response to the mixed results, the company announced it would be cutting roughly 9% of its workforce or around 620 employees.
CONSTELLATION BRANDS, INC.
Nevertheless, KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Thomas Blakey pointed out some positives, like the growth in new deals and expanding pipelines. F5’s CEO, François Locoh-Donou, mentioned that due to ongoing macro uncertainties and their impact on customer spending, the company expects low-to-mid single-digit revenue growth in Fiscal Year 2023.
The firm’s Non-GAAP EPS of $2.53 exceeded expectations, and F5 reaffirmed its commitment to giving back to shareholders through share repurchases. With $1.23 billion still available under its authorized common stock repurchase program, the company plans to buy back at least $250 million worth of shares in the next quarter. However, F5 anticipates revenue to land between $690 million and $710 million, with non-GAAP diluted earnings per share ranging from $2.78 to $2.90. As a result, the midpoints are slightly below the consensus estimates of $702 million and $2.86 per share.
Overall, Wall Street analysts have a consensus price target of $156.92 on FFIV stock, implying almost 19% upside potential, as indicated by the graphic above.
Thu, 12 Jan 2023 21:06:00 -0600entext/htmlhttps://www.moneycontrol.com/us-markets/stockpricequote/f5networks/FFIVKillexams : F5 Networks in Focus as Next Activist Target After Infoblox DealNo result found, try new keyword!The big question is where the activists will go to next, said Needham & Co. analyst Alex Henderson, adding that F5 Networks could be among the next to receive spotlight simply because it fits the ...Sun, 14 May 2023 12:01:00 -0500text/htmlhttps://www.thestreet.com/investing/stocks/f5-networks-in-focus-as-next-activist-target-after-infoblox-deal-13744247Killexams : Why Is F5 (FFIV) Up 5.8% Since Last Earnings Report?
It has been about a month since the last earnings report for F5 Networks (FFIV). Shares have added about 5.8% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.
Will the latest positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is F5 due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.
F5 Networks' Q2 Earnings and Sales Top Estimates
F5 reported second-quarter fiscal 2023 results, wherein the top and the bottom lines surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
This Seattle-based company’s non-GAAP earnings of $2.53 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.42. The bottom line increased 18.8% from the year-ago quarter’s $2.13 per share and was way higher than management’s guided range of $2.36-$2.48 per share.
During the reported quarter, F5 Networks witnessed a 11% increase in its revenues amid a global chip shortage scenario in the semiconductor industry. The company’s non-GAAP revenues were $703.2 million, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $700.7 million. The top line was above the mid-point of the guided range of $690-$710 million.
Top Line in Detail
Product revenues (48.4% of total revenues), which comprise Software and Systems sub-divisions, increased 14% year over year to $340.6 million. System sales jumped 43% year over year to $209 million, accounting for approximately 61.3% of the total Product revenues. However, Software revenues slumped 13% to $132 million, making up the remaining 38.7% of the total Product revenues.
Global Service revenues (51.6% of total revenues) grew 8% to $362.6 million.
F5 Networks registered sales growth across the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions, witnessing a year-over-year increase of 7%, 22% and 9%, respectively. Revenue contributions from the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions were 54%, 27% and 18%, respectively.
Customer-wise, Enterprises, Service providers and Government represented 67%, 13% and 20% of product bookings, respectively.
Margins
GAAP and non-GAAP gross margins contracted 220 basis points (bps) and 250 bps to 77.9% and 80.4%, respectively.
GAAP and non-GAAP operating expenses went up 1.9% and 4.6%, respectively, to $441.5 million and $374.1 million. F5 Networks’ GAAP and non-GAAP operating margins expanded 330 bps and 70 bps to 15.1% and 27.2%, respectively.
Balance Sheet & Cash Flow
F5 Networks exited the March-ended quarter with cash and short-term investments of $755.3 million compared with the previous quarter’s $660 million.
During the fiscal second quarter, the company generated $141 million of operating cash flow compared with the $158 million reported in the previous quarter. The operating cash flow remained under pressure due to strong multi-year subscription sales, which impacted the cash collection process.
Guidance
F5 Networks projects non-GAAP revenues in the $690-$710 million (mid-point of $700 million) and non-GAAP earnings per share in the $2.78-$2.90 band (mid-point of $2.84) for third-quarter fiscal 2023. Non-GAAP gross margin is forecast to be around 82%.
For fiscal 2023, F5 Networks expects low-to-mid-single digit revenue growth. The company anticipates non-GAAP earnings to grow in 7-11% band. Non
GAAP operating margin is forecasted to be roughly 30%.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?
In the past month, investors have witnessed a downward trend in fresh estimates.
VGM Scores
At this time, F5 has a nice Growth Score of B, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with an F. However, the stock was allocated a grade of C on the value side, putting it in the middle 20% for this investment strategy.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of C. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
Outlook
Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Notably, F5 has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.
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Mon, 22 May 2023 19:43:00 -0500en-UStext/htmlhttps://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-f5-ffiv-5-8-153003906.htmlKillexams : 5G Open Innovation Lab Teams with F5, GXC, and Spirent Communications to Lay the Groundwork for Faster Deployment of Private Mobile Networks
New collaboration delivers improved performance for private cellular networks in hard-to-reach locations
Today, 5G Open Innovation Lab (5G OI Lab) along with ecosystem partners F5, GXC and Spirent Communications announced a new collaboration to showcase a leading-edge enterprise Private Mobile Network (PMN) solution that not only delivers PMNs in hard-to-reach locations, but offers greater security, control, and resilience with improvements to operational costs.
As 5G infrastructure becomes more mainstream, enterprises and organizations are subsequently deploying more private networks and telco clouds into strategic locations to leverage newly available connectivity, lower latency, and agility. The consistent throughput and capacity on these PMNs bring the promise of 5G to revenue-driven use cases such as IoT and network slicing, while being mindful that security must expand accordingly beyond legacy policies and be thoroughly tested. Especially in edge use cases, one of the requirements most in demand is the need for local breakout to route traffic to as part of a Mobile Edge Compute (MEC) infrastructure or hosted within a data center.
F5, a hybrid and multi-cloud application services and security company, deployed carrier-grade BIG-IP Virtual Editions. These security functions were consolidated with an N6/SGi-LAN solution adding another layer of speed and security at the network level. Critical functions such as Firewall, DDoS, Secure DNS, CGNAT, TCP and Video Optimization with this consolidated N6 configuration are already running in high-volume Tier 1 providers.
GXC, a NaaS communications early-stage tech company which is part of the 5G OI Lab ecosystem, contributed their unique distributed mesh configuration for easier and faster deployment of a private network while providing full coverage and capacity of a cellular network.
This collaboration was validated using Spirent's Landslide test and emulation platform. The multinational telecom testing company's solution provided device and RAN emulation to create a diversity of traffic flows across multiple data networks through the 5G core which is monitored and managed by F5 behind the UPF. This delivers UE QoS, Network Slice Management, and offers multi-application monitoring at scale to validate the benefits of a packet core and N6 LAN solution working in tandem in a controlled production environment.
Finally, the entire solution was pressure-tested through technology made available through the 5G OI Lab and its enterprise and operator partners deployed with GXC's ONYX Portal.
How the solution works:
-F5's BIG-IP Virtual Editions will optimize these traffic flows between the 5GC and the content network helping to enable end-to-end visibility of user activity and security against unwarranted traffic ingress.
-Spirent's Landslide AMF Nodal application will bring real-world traffic modelling into the 5G OI Lab to emulate 5G Mobile subscribers and 5G Access Nodes (gNBs) performing a realistic distribution of traffic flows across slices and DNNs towards emulated content servers supported by the core.
About GXC
GXC, previously known as GenXComm, is an Austin, Texas-based company that provides groundbreaking technology for enterprise 5G networks, based on a cellular mesh architecture. This private network platform provides high levels of resiliency, flexible deployments, strong coverage in hard-to-reach areas, and a powerful distributed application platform. The company was founded in 2016 to commercialize years of research and development in interference technology out of the University of Texas at Austin. Enabling full-duplex, high-speed communication, GXC's powerful technology has the capacity to double the world's available frequency spectrum. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter and contact us here for inquiries.
About Spirent
Spirent Communications plc. SPT is a leading global provider of automated test and assurance solutions for networks, cybersecurity, and positioning. The company provides innovative products, services and managed solutions that address the test, assurance, and automation challenges of a new generation of technologies, including 5G, cloud, autonomous vehicles and beyond. From the lab to the real world, Spirent helps companies deliver on their promise to their customers of a new generation of connected devices and technologies. For more information, please visit www.spirent.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
About 5G Open Innovation Lab
The 5G Open Innovation Lab is a new global innovation ecosystem that brings together multi-stage startups, enterprise and global technology platforms and investors to connect and collaborate on developing disruptive new enterprise technologies and solutions that capitalize on the power of edge computing connected to public and private 5G networks.
In just four years, the Lab has attracted a roster of world-class corporate and industry partners including Accenture, Amdocs, Avanade, Dell Technologies, Deloitte, Ericsson, F5, GAF (Standard Industries), Intel, Microsoft, Nokia, Palo Alto Networks, SK Telecom, Spirent, T-Mobile and VMware as well as 101 multi-stage enterprise startups who have collectively raised $1.641B of venture capital. Through 5G OI Lab's unique model of open collaborative innovation, corporate partners work directly with ecosystem startups to accelerate commercialization through proof of concept, go-to-market, and other engagements and opportunities.
F5 and BIG-IP are trademarks, service marks, or tradenames of F5, Inc., in the U.S. and other countries. All other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. The use of the words "partner," "partnership," or "joint" does not imply a legal partnership relationship between F5 and any other company.
Wed, 31 May 2023 03:08:00 -0500text/htmlhttps://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/23/05/b32649546/5g-open-innovation-lab-teams-with-f5-gxc-and-spirent-communications-to-lay-the-groundwork-for-fastKillexams : F5 Networks' (FFIV) Q2 Earnings and Sales Top Estimates
F5 Networks FFIV reported second-quarter fiscal 2023 results, wherein the top and the bottom lines surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
This Seattle-based company’s non-GAAP earnings of $2.53 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.42. The bottom line increased 18.8% from the year-ago quarter’s $2.13 per share and was way higher than management’s guided range of $2.36-$2.48 per share.
During the reported quarter, F5 Networks witnessed a 11% increase in its revenues amid a global chip shortage scenario in the semiconductor industry. The company’s non-GAAP revenues were $703.2 million, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $700.7 million. The top line was above the mid-point of the guided range of $690-$710 million.
F5, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
F5, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
F5, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | F5, Inc. Quote
Top Line in Detail
Product revenues (48.4% of total revenues), which comprise Software and Systems sub-divisions, increased 14% year over year to $340.6 million. System sales jumped 43% year over year to $209 million, accounting for approximately 61.3% of the total Product revenues. However, Software revenues slumped 13% to $132 million, making up the remaining 38.7% of the total Product revenues. This downside was due to the ongoing global chip shortage.
Global Service revenues (51.6% of total revenues) grew 8% to $362.6 million.
F5 Networks registered sales growth across the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions, witnessing a year-over-year increase of 7%, 22% and 9%, respectively. Revenue contributions from the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions were 54%, 27% and 18%, respectively.
Customer-wise, Enterprises, Service providers and Government represented 67%, 13% and 20% of product bookings, respectively.
Margins
GAAP and non-GAAP gross margins contracted 220 basis points (bps) and 250 bps to 77.9% and 80.4%, respectively.
GAAP and non-GAAP operating expenses went up 1.9% and 4.6%, respectively, to $441.5 million and $374.1 million. F5 Networks’ GAAP and non-GAAP operating margins expanded 330 bps and 70 bps to 15.1% and 27.2%, respectively.
Balance Sheet & Cash Flow
F5 Networks exited the March-ended quarter with cash and short-term investments of $755.3 million compared with the previous quarter’s $660 million.
During the fiscal second quarter, the company generated $141 million of operating cash flow compared with the $158 million reported in the previous quarter. The operating cash flow remained under pressure due to strong multi-year subscription sales, which impacted the cash collection process.
Guidance
F5 Networks projects non-GAAP revenues in the $690-$710 million (mid-point of $700 million) and non-GAAP earnings per share in the $2.78-$2.90 band (mid-point of $2.84) for third-quarter fiscal 2023. Non-GAAP gross margin is forecast to be around 82%.
For fiscal 2023, F5 Networks expects low-to-mid-single digit revenue growth.
The company anticipates non-GAAP earnings to grow in 7-11% band. Non-GAAP operating margin is forecasted to be roughly 30%.
Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider
F5 Networks currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Shares of FFIV have declined 33% in the past year.
Some better-ranked stocks from the broader Computer and Technology sector are Meta Platforms META, Salesforce CRM and ServiceNow NOW, each flaunting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Meta Platforms' first-quarter 2023 earnings has been revised a penny upward to $1.97 per share over the past seven days. For fiscal 2023, earnings estimates have moved north by a penny to $10.23 in the past seven days.
META’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters, missing twice, the average surprise being 8.6%. Shares of the company have gained 14.5% in the past year.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Salesforce’s first-quarter fiscal 2024 earnings has been revised northward from $1.30 to $1.61 per share over the past 60 days. For fiscal 2024, earnings estimates have moved up by 21.3% to $7.11 in the past 60 days.
CRM's earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 15.6%. Shares of the company have increased 6.9% in the past year.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ServiceNow’s first-quarter 2023 earnings has been revised southward from $2.04 to $2.02 per share over the past 90 days. For 2023, earnings estimates have moved up by a penny to $9.16 in the past seven days.
NOW's earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 6.9%. Shares of the company have declined 3.2% in the past year.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Customers will gain an enhanced ability to maintain network resiliency
TORONTO, June 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BlueCat Networks, a leading provider of mission-critical network and cloud infrastructure software for reliable and secure DNS, DHCP, and IP address management (collectively known as DDI), announced today that it has acquired Indeni. Moelis & Company acted as financial advisors to BlueCat. Financial terms were not disclosed, and the deal is subject to regulatory approval.
Indeni's platform helps network operations (NetOps) teams assure the health of their network appliances such as firewalls, load balancers, and secure web proxies. It analyzes device configurations, metrics, and logs through deep domain expertise, codified as knowledge. And it alerts administrators about existing and potential issues, using a global, crowd-sourced knowledge base to identify and recommend remediation steps using automation. Customers using Check Point, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, F5, and many other network security products are already benefiting from Indeni's platform.
This acquisition will enhance BlueCat's DDI management platform, which provides the core services that direct traffic and enable access and communication across the network. Once integrated with BlueCat's platform, customers will also gain an unprecedented view into their core DDI system, specific DNS and DHCP services, appliance metrics, and configuration best practices.
"Indeni's speciality is that it provides NetOps with highly detailed information necessary to detect and prevent issues that-if left alone-would disrupt business operations," said Andrew Wertkin, Chief Strategy Officer at BlueCat. "The vast majority of operational issues with DDI infrastructure come from uncoordinated changes to firewalls and other network appliances, as well as human error. BlueCat intends to extend the Indeni platform to proactively assess health across these closely related domains."
"Indeni has been servicing the world's leading organizations for over a decade, and we're looking forward to expanding our reach to BlueCat's current and future customers," said Yoni Leitersdorf, Indeni founder and Chief Executive Officer. "With BlueCat's industry-leading position and resources, we can bring Indeni's technology and insights to many more users."
About BlueCat BlueCat is the Adaptive DNS company. The company's mission is to help organizations deliver reliable and secure network access from any location and any network environment. To do this, BlueCat re-imagined DNS. The result - Adaptive DNS - is a dynamic, open, secure, scalable, and automated DDI management platform that supports the most challenging digital transformation initiatives, like adoption of hybrid cloud and rapid application development. BlueCat's DDI management platform was recognized as a market leader and outperformer in the 2022 GigaOm Radar report that evaluated all the vendors offering DDI Management. The company is headquartered in Toronto and New York and has additional offices throughout the world, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore, and Serbia. Learn more at bluecat.com.
About Indeni
Indeni is the leader in security infrastructure automation. Its crowd-sourced automation platform performs health and compliance checks for network security appliances.
Fri, 02 Jun 2023 07:10:00 -0500detext/htmlhttps://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2023-06/59249986-bluecat-networks-bluecat-acquires-network-infrastructure-monitoring-and-automation-platform-indeni-399.htmKillexams : Metropolitan Health Networks
About Metropolitan Health Networks
Metropolitan Health Networks, Inc. (Metropolitan) is engaged in the business of operating the provider services network (PSN) through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Metcare of Florida, Inc. and Continucare Corporation (Continucare). The PSN provides and arranges for the provision of healthcare services to Medicare Advantage and Medicaid beneficiaries in the State of Florida. As of December 31, 2011, it operated the PSN through its 33 wholly owned primary care practices, a wholly owned oncology practice, and contracts with almost 450 independent primary care practices (each an IPA). As of Decemb... Read More
Metropolitan Health Networks, Inc. (Metropolitan) is engaged in the business of operating the provider services network (PSN) through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Metcare of Florida, Inc. and Continucare Corporation (Continucare). The PSN provides and arranges for the provision of healthcare services to Medicare Advantage and Medicaid beneficiaries in the State of Florida. As of December 31, 2011, it operated the PSN through its 33 wholly owned primary care practices, a wholly owned oncology practice, and contracts with almost 450 independent primary care practices (each an IPA). As of December 31, 2011, the PSN operated in 18 Florida counties, including the Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Tampa and Daytona metropolitan areas. On January 1, 2012, the PSN began operations in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida's panhandle region under a mutually exclusive arrangement with Humana's Medicare Advantage plan. On October 4, 2011, it acquired Continucare. Read Less
Thu, 03 Oct 2013 05:13:00 -0500entext/htmlhttps://www.forbes.com/companies/metropolitan-health-networks/Killexams : Mental Health ‘Ghost Networks’ — And a Ghostbuster
Many people searching for a therapist or psychiatrist turn to the list of in-network providers offered by their insurance plan. But often, many of the doctors on the list don’t take that insurance plan, aren’t accepting new patients, or simply don’t answer the phone. Researchers and journalists call this phenomenon a “ghost network.”
So, who you gonna call when you encounter a ghost network? A ghostbuster.
That’s where Abigail Burman comes in. Burman is a lawyer who has studied ghost networks and volunteers her “ghostbusting” services to help people in her life navigate these networks and obtain care.
In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann speaks with Burman about what it took to get her friend the care she needed and what steps you can take to get insurance to pay for therapy.
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Host and producer of "An Arm and a Leg." Previously, Dan was a staff reporter for Marketplace and Chicago's WBEZ. His work also appears on All Things Considered, Marketplace, the BBC, 99 Percent Invisible, and Reveal, from the Center for Investigative Reporting.
Credits
Emily Pisacreta Producer Adam Raymonda Audio Wizard Afi Yellow-Duke Editor Click to open the Transcript Transcript: Mental Health ‘Ghost Networks’ — And a Ghostbuster
Note: “An Arm and a Leg” uses speech-recognition software to generate transcripts, which may contain errors. Please use the transcript as a tool but check the corresponding audio before quoting the podcast.
So, one course we have NOT addressed on this show until now has been mental health. And it’s not because it isn’t important, right?
Just ask anybody who’s lived through a multi-year global pandemic.
And it’s not like ACCESS to mental health care — figuring out how to pay for it, or how to get insurance to pay for it — isn’t a problem.
Actually, pretty much the opposite. It’s maybe the biggest problem. It’s just notoriously horrible.
We haven’t gone there because, well, number one: The horror stories are endless.
And two, I’ve had absolutely nothing to offer, in terms of what are we gonna do about it. Until now. Because now I’ve met somebody who has actually won a battle in this awful domain…
Abigail Burman:my name is Abigail Burman and I am an attorney specializing in consumer protection healthcare and technology.
Dan: Abigail’s also a policy expert on some of these problems And she’s become a problem-solver for people in her life.
Abigail Burman:It’s become a little bit of my superpower to just help friends find an in-network therapist or in-network psychiatrist.
Dan: Or, if there’s basically no such thing, to get their insurance to pay for an out-of-network provider.
She sent me a checklist she’d posted to an online forum, with the title, “A broad guide to getting therapy/psych appointments covered when you can’t find anyone in network”
It’s based on steps Abigail took on behalf of a friend recently, and it’s terrific.
It combines the usual unreasonable amount of persistence and grit, and time that not everybody has– and adds some key legal knowledge.
Now, this legal key won’t open every door, of course. It’s shape — and whether it’ll work at all for you– depends on where you get your insurance, and on where you live.
In fact, even with that legal knowledge on her side, the steps in Abigail’s checklist aren’t exactly what worked for Abigail in this case. It took more.
Again, more than is reasonable. More than most of us have in us, frankly.
But we’ll share what did work — because there ARE insights here that even us non-superheroes can definitely use :
And beyond the mechanics, the specific tips, I find Abigail’s approach — the spirit in which she suggests we apply ourselves to these problems– for ourselves or for others —really refreshing.
This is An Arm and a Leg, a show about why health care costs so freaking much, and what we can maybe do about it. I’m Dan Weissmann, I’m a reporter, and I like a challen.ge.
So our job on this show is to take one of the most enraging, terrifying, depressing parts of American life — and rarely has that word “depressing” carried more weight than in this story about mental health– and bring you something entertaining, empowering and useful.
Abigail’s personal super-powers grow out of her policy research.
Abigail Burman:So as with all good academic work, it started with a grudge. This is my super villain origin story.
Dan: It started during her first semester in law school, when she made an important discovery.
Abigail Burman:law school is uh, a toxic pressure cooker, and so I, like a lot of my classmates realized midway through that talking to someone would be a good idea.
Dan: So she looked up the therapists in her insurance company’s directory.
Abigail Burman:I called probably 20 doctors and didn’t hear back from anyone. I actually ended up seeing someone out of network.
Dan: And she got mad. And she decided: I’m gonna find out what the hell is going on here. So she spent pretty much the rest of law school researching exactly that.
And her research showed her: This thing she’d experienced? It was a known thing. It had a name.
Researchers and journalists called it a “ghost network.”
A “ghost network” is where your insurance company says to you: You need a therapist? Oh sure. Here’s a list of therapists who take our insurance– our “network directory.”
And maybe you call a few. Maybe you call twenty, like Abigail. Maybe you call 73, which is what one woman did, according to a latest Washington Post story. Yep. 73.
And they say, “What? No, we don’t take that insurance.” Or, “We’re not taking new clients.” Or nobody even answers the phone because it’s been disconnected for a long time.
And the problem isn’t that you’re having bad luck. The problem is: The network itself — all these providers supposedly waiting to take your call and take your insurance — is a ghost, a phantasm.
Of course, running into a ghost network can conjure up all the feelings of being ghosted.
Abigail Burman:That can be so isolating when you just think this is a personal annoyance rather than being able to name it as a bigger problem with the entire system.
Dan: I mean, it can also feel like, it can feel like a personal failure, right? Like, oh, a real adult could do this.
Abigail Burman:Exactly. If I just organized my life better, if I just tried harder, this would be better.
Dan: But Abigail’s research showed her: This is not a personal failing. A study of networks in just one city, Washington, DC, found that only half of the phone numbers listed even worked at all.
And Abigail’s everyday experience showed her: Those findings in Washington, DC, were not identifying an isolated trouble spot
Abigail Burman:I realized I was onto something when I would tell people about this and everyone has a story.
Dan: So she let her rage fuel years of academic work. She published some findings in a long article for the Yale Law and Policy Review called Laying Ghost Networks to Rest.
The paper documents the problem’s scale — spoiler alert, it’s REALLY big, and not limited to mental health — and lays out policy prescriptions for fighting them.
Meanwhile, Abigail has graduated from law school, and moved to DC. Now it’s late 2022. Abigail’s friend needs a therapist, and she’s like…
Abigail Burman:Put me in. I’m ready.
Dan: This starts with Abigail’s friend trying things the “normal” way:
Abigail Burman:They called like 10 or so and just aren’t getting any hits either people are not actually taking new patients or they just are not replying. I think we got one or two wrong numbers.
Dan: Again, normal. And not a step you can skip. Going up against this problem — and documenting it — is what gives you standing to tell the insurance company to solve it for you.
Abigail Burman:They had managed to get through to one provider, but they kept saying that their earliest appointment would be in four months, which is unacceptable And so this is where I came in.
Dan: It’s unacceptable morally. It’s unacceptable as a treatment plan. And because Abigail has studied the law here, she knows it’s unacceptable legally. At least in some situations. Including her friend’s.
Abigail Burman:Affordable Care Act, marketplace plans, Medicaid plans, and Medicare plans are all subject to rules around network adequacy.
Dan: Network adequacy: If you’re gonna take away one legal term from this episode that’s the big one: Network adequacy. Are there enough doctors in your network to actually provide care?
That’s the bedrock for everything else here.
Abigail Burman:Let’s say you have like a 500 person directory, two of them will actually pick up if you call, but finding them requires the other 498. That’s not what you are entitled to. That is not an adequate network. The key with all of these rules and regulations is that, um, it’s meant to make seeking care not a burden.
That when you are already in a place of distress, it should be reasonably easy for you to reach out and get help. And I think that has to be your guidepost. Think about what it is reasonable to expect of someone in your situation.
Dan: So, if you’ve called, say, ten numbers and are coming up empty, you’ve got pretty good evidence that the answer is… what’s being expected of you isn’t reasonable.
You’re gonna be telling the insurance company: If you’ve got an adequate network, prove it.
Abigail Burman:Your stance at that point that you wanna hold firm in is, I have called doctors. I have done my job, I have spent this many hours.
Thank you. But no, I will not be doing that anymore. Now the burdens shift to you.
Dan: In other words, if your network really is adequate, you’ve gotta find me somebody in it. Or pay for me to go outside of it.
And I’ve gotta acknowledge here: As bedrock goes, it’s … fragmented. And incomplete. For starters, every state makes its own rules for network adequacy.
And within a given state, the rules are different for those three different kinds of plans: Obamacare plans, Medicaid, and Medicare.
And for a lot of us who get insurance from work… we’d be looking at a whole different legal structure.
But beyond the legal specifics the basic idea is: Somewhere, somehow, you’ve got a right to real care from somebody who takes your insurance.
Insurance is a contract. They’re getting something — money — and you’re supposed to get something: Access to care from somebody for in-network rates.
Abigail Burman:Either you or someone else is paying for you to get this service from your insurer. This is what that money is supposed to cover. And if you can’t get that, someone’s just getting money for free.
Dan: So, I’m just gonna note a couple of Abigail’s broad guidelines here, and we’ll post a link to her full checklist wherever you’re listening to this.
And we’ll supplement it with some of what Abigail told me when we talked. For now, the gist is:
Her list starts with legal terms like “network adequacy” that you can combine in a Google search– along with the name of your state– to see how they apply to your situation.
And it ends with some general purpose advice like, quote “The key is to be a giant asshole.” Unquote.
Abigail Burman:I don’t mean, you know, screaming at people using swear words, et cetera, but it can feel like you are being a jerk if you stand your ground and say no. But it is worth it. And if nothing else, just remember that. Like you’re never gonna talk to any of these people again.Probably.
So, worse comes to worse, if you get too stressed out, you can hang up and call again.
Dan: In other words, the key isn’t to BE an asshole. It’s to tolerate FEELING like you’re being an asshole.
But what you’re doing is letting the other person know: You know your real rights.
I tell Abigail, it reminds me of how Jacqueline Fox– a law professor who used to do this kind of problem-solving as an attorney — put it: You want the person on the other side to get the feeling, “There’s a grown-up here who seems to be getting annoyed.”
Abigail Burman:Exactly. I think that’s the, the exact vibe you want is kind of, um, I’m disappointed, not angry. And I, that is how I try to go into these is sort of like, here is the rule, here is what you have done. I simply don’t understand why you can’t comply with the law. Um, also love to you, you always wanna put a specific request at the end.
Uh, say exactly what you want, um, just so it’s really clear. Uh, and ideally, you know, say, I, I expect to reply back by this time, just so there’s something keeping the conversation moving. If you don’t get a response, you can then follow up and say, I thought, you know, I’d ask for a reply by then. Where, where is my reply?
Um, and so, yeah, that’s kind of the, the general structure you wanna take in these interactions is like, I have seen that. Like, I know this is what I’m entitled to. This is what happened. How are we, collectively working together, going to fix this?
Dan: Coming up in a minute: What happened when Abigail actually went into battle for her friend.
This episode of An Arm and a Leg is produced in partnership with KFF Health News. That’s a nonprofit newsroom covering health care in America., Their work wins all kinds of journalism awards every year, and I’m honored to work with them.
So, Abigail’s friend had called a bunch of therapists that were supposed to be covered by their insurance– found bupkis. Abigail steps in.
Her friend happens to be on Medicaid, which is kind of a best-case scenario for this sort of thing: Not only is Medicaid regulated by states, there tend to be detailed rules — contractual language even — about things like network adequacy.
Abigail looked up the specific regs that applied in her friend’s case, kept them on hand, and started in with the phone calling.
If you’ve been listening for a while, or if you’ve done something like this, some of what happened will be familiar.
Once the first few calls didn’t get anywhere, Abigail started working her way up.
Abigail Burman:The language that’s often used is you wanna ask to have your complaint or your grievance escalated. You want it to go to someone who maybe has a little more power, little more experience.
Dan: She thinks it took maybe five calls to get to anybody at the insurance company whose response went beyond, “Huh? Whatever. Sucks to be you.”
Abigail Burman:I finally got a woman who was like, yeah, this is bad. What you want is what we call an administrative grievance. She said, okay, I’m going to with you on the phone. I am gonna call two or three doctors and see if they have an appointment. If not, we will file an administrative grievance.
Dan: The woman dialed a few doctors while Abigail was on the phone, got nowhere, and filed an administrative grievance.
Which, you know, great. But that’s not a doctor’s appointment. File it under Abigail’s general advice of: Do everything. Go on record everywhere. And keep going.
Next, Abigail kept calling, kept asking to talk with someone at the insurance company with more juice. Someone who could actually authorize paying for an appointment with an out-of-network doc, since there weren’t in-network docs.
And after another like full day on the phone, she got to that someone.
Abigail made her specific request: I want you to authorize payment for out-of-network provider, as the regulations require. And…
Abigail Burman:They say we have no process for this. This does not exist.
Dan: Like, this thing that the law says they have to do– get you a provider and cut a check — this person’s saying they have no process for it.
Abigail Burman:I read them the regulation over the phone. It did not, did not change their position.
Dan: I would’ve really struggled in that conversation to contain my rage. I mean, it’s just flabbergasting, right? Like, I spent all day getting on the phone. I mean, all of this reminds me of the Wizard of Oz, and they were like, no one can see Oz.
And you know, she’s, she’s like, I am going to see him. And, and then she sees him and he’s like, go away and come back tomorrow. . I am Oz.
Abigail Burman:exactly. It is a, it is a complete runaround. Um, and so when you get to this place, I think you have to let the rage fuel you, maybe take a break, eat some snacks.
Dan: And keep going with other strategies. Including ones that may seem pretty out of the way at first.
So Abigail called the office of her friend’s state representative.
And of all the lessons from Abigail’s story, this one may be the MOST important.
Abigail Burman:This is the secret trick for any interaction you are having, largely with government agencies, but also sometimes with private companies. Um, all of your elected representatives from local through to Congress, they have staffers whose only job it is, is to make your interactions with these systems easier.
Dan: Abigail actually worked for a member of Congress once upon a time, so she’s seen this all from the other side.
Abigail Burman:Your elected representatives, have enormous resources at their disposal. And the good ones know that the way you get reelected is by helping people with their specific problems and will go outta their way to do it.
So, Abigail didn’t call the state rep’s office because she knew someone there. She called because she knew what someone there could DO.
Abigail Burman:These staffers have secret phone numbers, they have email addresses, they get things fixed.
Dan: A staffer had given Abigail a direct email to the right person at the state regulator’s office–.
Abigail Burman:And so we emailed them, got a reply back almost immediately saying, yeah, you’re right, this is bad.
Dan: And then she heard from somebody ELSE altogether.
Abigail Burman:I think within an hour or two, uh, got a phone call from the healthcare plans lobbyists for the state, saying that, yeah, she was personally going to fix this, promising an appointment within the next two days.
Dan: Holy shit. I mean I love that it’s the lobbyist
Abigail Burman:Yeah, that was special.
Dan: I mean, it’s very interesting, right? That like the official channels did not go anywhere. That what happened was the political actor got involved and a political actor on the insurance side came and made it happen.
Abigail Burman:Exactly. The key is you just, you have to keep moving up and you have to press on all the levers that you can.
Dan: In this case, because Abigail’s friend was on Medicaid, the state was actually paying the insurance company directly, so getting them involved was probably a more effective lever than in other situations. But it worked!
Something actually worked.
And making that happen took an unbelievable amount of work, amount of resources. That is one of the BIG take-aways here, and it’s not exactly a cheerful one.
Abigail estimates she put like half a workweek into this. [I mean, holy crap.]
Abigail Burman:I was lucky enough to be in a job where I, I could, you know, my boss was understanding I could be taking these calls at the office for sometimes hours at a time.
Dan: And she’s fluent in English. And she’s comfortable navigating bureaucracy, to say the least.
Abigail Burman:I am a lawyer who worked in healthcare policy before law school, and I do this work professionally, and it still took me so long. And that was with the added privilege of, getting taken seriously because of my education, because I’m white, because of all these things.
Dan: I mean, all of these advantages are among the reasons Abigail’s firm charges hundreds of dollars an hour for her time.
So the resources it took to get this individual win are, on that scale, staggering. It absolutely blows.
And yet: The part of Abigail’s story that sticks out the most to me– beyond the specific tips, and beyond the outrage– is an idea that we’ve started talking a little more about on this show recently.
We’ve talked for a long time about self-defense against this awful system. But self defense only gets us so far — especially when we’re actually sick, or needing help. We’re not in the best position to engage in a fight.
But we can fight for each other. And you don’t always have to be a lawyer.
Abigail Burman:This is a service you can provide for people. If you are the sort of person or you know, someone who really enjoys renegotiating their internet plan, you will probably be great at this.
Dan: Sometimes just showing up is enough. Especially in costume.
Abigail Burman:I have gone and just stood in the corner for people to be the scary person who’s wearing a suit.
Dan: And you don’t always even need a suit. We talked recently with a professional advocate who said, “When I get on a call with a client and say, ‘I’m her advocate,’ I can feel the person on the other end of the line straighten up a little bit.”
And as we said then: You don’t have to be a professional to say “I’m this person’s advocate.”
The person on the other end of the phone doesn’t need to know you’re that person’s roommate, or just their friend.
The idea is, take what you have — whatever knowledge you have, whatever skills you have, whatever TIME you have, and yes whatever privilege you have — and see if you can put it to use.
Abigail Burman:You know, that this, uh, we talk a lot about mutual aid and networks of care and I think this is a huge part of it is just showing up for the bureaucracy side.
Dan: Of course, that’s not going to make all the difference we need.
Abigail Burman:Looking out for our friends, helping people in our community is only gonna get us so far, we still need so many more changes from lawmakers to make this a system that works for everyone.
Dan: And yes, of course that’s true. So Abigail is out there advocating for policy change. But because none of that is happening tomorrow she’s ALSO showing up right now for people in her life, helping fight one battle at a time.
So, just to review, I’m taking three big things from Abigail’s fight here.
One is a little basket of possible tools: Think about “network adequacy” as a demand — your insurance company owes you a doctor. Think about the disappointed-not-angry vibe. Think about your state rep’s office as a possible resource. — and again, we’re gonna post some of what Abigail has written so you can find it from wherever you’re listening to this.
Two: Jesus Christ, this was a lot of work. Even with Abigail’s SIGNIFICANT advantages, and the various pieces of wisdom she shared about hacking through, this is not someone most of us could easily take on.
And three: Let’s think about these as fights we take on for each other.
That’s something I really want to work toward, something I hope this show can do: How do we become a community — however big, however loose — of folks who can help each other HELP EACH OTHER?
It’s big. We’ll take it one step at a time.
For now, if you haven’t already, check out our First Aid Kit newsletter. That’s where we’ve been writing down a lot of the tips and strategies we’ve been learning about HOW to take on these fights.
You can find everything we’ve written to date — more than twenty installments so far — at arm and a leg show dot com, slash, first aid kit.
Till then, take care of yourself.
This episode of An Arm and a Leg was produced by me, Dan Weissmann, with help from Emily Pisacreta, and edited by Afi Yellow-Duke and Ellen Weiss — welcome aboard, Ellen!
Daisy Rosario is our consulting managing producer. Adam Raymonda is our audio wizard. Our music is by Dave Winer and Blue Dot Sessions.
Gabrielle Healy is our managing editor for audience. She edits the First Aid Kit Newsletter.
Bea Bosco is our consulting director of operations. Sarah Ballema is our operations manager.
An Arm and a Leg is produced in partnership with KFF Health News–formerly known as Kaiser Health News.
That’s a national newsroom producing in-depth journalism about health care in America, and a core program at KFF — an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.
And yes, you did hear the name Kaiser in there, and no: KFF isn’t affiliated with the health care giant Kaiser Permanente. You can learn more about KFF Health News at arm and a leg show dot com, slash KFF.
Zach Dyer is senior audio producer at KFF Health News. He is editorial liaison to this show.
Thanks to Public Narrative — That’s a Chicago-based group that helps journalists and nonprofits tell better stories– for serving as our fiscal sponsor, allowing us to accept tax-exempt donations.
You can learn more about Public Narrative at www dot public narrative dot org.
And thanks to everybody who supports this show financially.
If you haven’t yet, we’d love for you to join us. The place for that is arm and a leg show dot com, slash support.
“An Arm and a Leg” is a co-production of KFF Health News and Public Road Productions.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.